Improved traveling-trunk



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MGDONALD, OE OHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED TRAVELING-TRUNK.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,689, dated June 19,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MODON- ALD, of Charlestown, Middlesexcounty, and State of Massachusetts, a subject of Great Britain, havingmade oath of' intention to become a citizen ot' the United States, haveinvented an Imln'oved Traveling'lrunk; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany andform part of this specification, is a description otl my inventionsufficient to enable those. skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates to the construction of the common and well-knowntravelingtruuk; andit consistsin the cmployment,in connection with theshort buckle-straps fastened upon the lower part or body of the trunkand the straps which pass over the top, of auxiliary tightening-loops,through which the long straps are passed and tightened before passingthrough thebuckles; also,in combining with the leather coveriugot' thetrunk a body made up, in part or in whole, ot a double thickness ofwood, the grain of the pieces, glued together, running in oppositedirections.

The drawings represent views of a trunk embodying my invention, Ashowing a crosssection of the same, B a front elevation of' it, and C areversed plan ot' the lid or upper part.

a denotes the lower partor body ot' the trunk, b the top the-reci',hinged to the body and l swinging up therefrom in the usual manner.

The inner boards, c, are glued to the outer ones, d, the grain of thetwo running in opposite directions, and over-the outer boards is placedthe leather coveringI e. By making up the body oi' the two layers ofwood in this manner strength and lightness are obtained, and the leathercover acts as a coating to the bod y, keepin g the boards from curliu gor warpin g from the action of the atmosphere.

f denotes the ordinary metalh strap (sometimes, but improperly, calledby trunk-makers a valance7) fastened aroundlthe lower and outer edge ofthe lid, and so as to shut down over the top of the edge ofthe body a.In the rough usage to which traveling-trunks are subjected this is aninsufficient protection to the lid against lateral strain, and the locksare often broken and the lids and hinges wrenched by such strain uponthe lid. To remedy this I secure a similar metal band, a", around thefront side and ends of the lid, iuside of the lid, the outer and innerbands mak ing a groove into which the edge of the body projects, as seenat A and C. The edge of the body a maybe inclined, as seen in Figure 1,and the edge of the lid recessed to shut over the same, and one or bothmay be protected by metal capping.

It is well known that in the common method of strapping a trunk, wherethe long lid-strap buckles to the buckle fixed to the front side of thebody, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to effectnally tightenthe straps or fasten the lid securely and firmly down to the body, thelooseness ot' the straps permitting movement otl the lid with respect tothe body, injuring the lock and hinges and otherwise damaging the trunk.

To obviate this difticulty I apply metal loops g h to the lid and body,and having iirst tight cned up the strap 0 by means of these loops,passing the strap through them, as seen at A, and using them as pulleysto strain the strap, its end is passed through the buckle t and securedby the tongue lc.

When short straps are used to strap the lid to the body said strap maybe applied to the front side ot' the lower part or body ot' the trunk,and being slipped through the loop g and then returned to the buckle i,the strain being then produced by the single loop, and the strapsubsequently secured to the buckle by the tongue k.

I claim- The combination of the leather covering e and the boards c andd, arranged with respect to each other and the bands fand m,substantially as set forth.

2. Combining with the buckles upon the front side of the body and thestraps which fasten the lid thereto the auxiliary strainingloops,operatin g substantially as described.

A. MCDONALD.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, F. GoULD.

